Guide: Obsidian Properties and AI Automation with 20k+ Notes
dSebastien · x · 2026-08-03
This is an in-depth guide on Obsidian Properties. Drawing from a personal vault of over 20,000 notes and 48 note types, the author argues that properties are the single most underrated feature and explains how to use them properly.
Core concepts and takeaways:
- Properties as Data & Schema: Properties turn notes into queryable, sortable, and computable data. The goal is to design a proper schema rather than just adding tons of fields.
- Types Matter: Pick the right data types (e.g., Date vs. Text) from day one, otherwise, sorting and filtering will become impossible later.
- Add Only When Needed: Introduce a new property only if there's a concrete need for a query, view, or automation. This single rule prevents metadata sprawl.
- Never Type Manually: Use plugins like Templater to auto-fill properties upon note creation and use Linter to keep them clean.
- Powering Apps: Properties are the foundation for features like Bases. The author built an entire action system (goals, projects, tasks) entirely on typed properties.
Related event: Automating Obsidian Metadata with AI Agents(2 posts)→
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